The Digestive System

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary terms and concepts presented in the lecture on the digestive system.

Alimentary canal

The pathway of the gastrointestinal tract, including the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.

Accessory digestive organs

Organs that aid in digestion but are not part of the alimentary canal, including the teeth, tongue, gallbladder, salivary glands, liver, and pancreas.

Ingestion

The act of eating food.

Peristalsis

A major means of propulsion of food through the alimentary canal involving alternating waves of contraction and relaxation.

Mechanical Digestion

The physical breakdown of food, including chewing, mixing with saliva, churning in the stomach, and segmentation.

Segmentation

A local constriction of the intestine that mixes food with digestive juices.

Chemical Digestion

A series of catabolic steps involving enzymes that break down complex food molecules into chemical building blocks.

Absorption

The passage of digested fragments from the lumen of the GI tract into the blood or lymph.

Defecation

The elimination of indigestible substances from the body via the anus in the form of feces.

Deglutition

The process of swallowing.

Bolus

A mass of food that has been chewed and is ready to be swallowed.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

A condition caused by stomach acid regurgitating into the esophagus, often marked by heartburn.

Gastritis

Inflammation of the stomach lining that can breach the mucosal barrier.

Peptic ulcers

Erosions in the stomach wall that can cause serious complications if perforated.

Cholecystokinin (CCK)

A hormone that stimulates the gallbladder to release bile and the pancreas to release digestive enzymes.

Intrinsic factor

A substance secreted by parietal cells in the stomach that is essential for the absorption of vitamin B12.

Bile

A digestive fluid produced by the liver that emulsifies fats, facilitating fat digestion and absorption.

Pancreatic juice

A solution containing enzymes and bicarbonate produced by the pancreas, essential for digestion in the small intestine.

Haustra

Pocket-like sacs caused by the tone of the teniae coli in the large intestine.

Villi

Fingerlike extensions of the mucosa in the small intestine that increase surface area for absorption.

Motility

The movement of food through the digestive tract.

Colon cancer

A form of cancer that can arise from benign mucosal tumors called polyps in the colon.

Diverticulitis

A condition where small pouches in the digestive tract become inflamed.